Winter Wonderland
by supercomsandeggos
Summary: It all started at the Snowball. With the holiday season right around the corner, Mike and the boys teach El all about Christmas while trying to figure out the perfect gift for her.
1. The Snowball

**Hey there! I know it isn't December yet, but I wanted to get this first chapter out for Mileven week on tumblr. Anyway, this story will have 5 chapters (they're all finished and will be posted throughout the end of this month and December), so enjoy and happy holidays!**

 **. . .**

Mike observed himself in the mirror. He adjusted the bow tie on his vest and buttoned up his jacket. He took a deep breath. Tonight was the Snowball dance at Hawkins Middle School and he had promised Eleven that he would take her. Mike had never been to any of the school dances before, (no girl ever approached him, let alone _asked_ him) so he wanted this night to be perfect. After brushing his hair for the fifth time, the young man made his way downstairs to wait for Eleven.

"You all ready?" Nancy asked the young girl.

Eleven nodded and smiled at her reflection. Her hair, which had grown out a little, had a small, pink bow in it. Nancy had loaned her another one of her dresses, a light blue one with a floral pattern, and gave her some tips on how to slow dance. If Mike even had the courage to ask her, that is.

"You look beautiful, El," Nancy smiled. She had grown fond of the girl ever since the events that took place with the Demogorgon and Eleven looked up to Nancy as her older sister.

"Thank you," Eleven spoke. She followed Nancy downstairs and into the kitchen where Mike and his friends were waiting patiently.

 **. . .**

"Dude, would you relax?" Dustin laughed at his friend, who looked like he was about to pass out. Dustin was wearing a grey sweater vest, similar to the outfit he wore on the day of Will's 'funeral', and Lucas was wearing a sharp, dark blue tux.

"W-What are you talking about?" Mike stuttered. "I'm fine. Man, is it hot in here?" He wiped the sweat off his forehead and began to pace back and forth. Lucas rolled his eyes and stood up.

"Mike! Chill!" he yelled and got his attention. "You're worrying about nothing. I'm sure El's just as excited about going to the dance as you are."

Mike sat down next to the kitchen table and sighed. "I know. I just want this to be perfect. I've never been to a dance before and what if I mess something up?"

Dustin laughed again and patted his friend on the back. "You're gonna be fine, man! Just be yourself and everything will run smoothly."

"Thanks, guys," Mike smiled and stood up, a little more confident. He couldn't ask for a better group of friends. They would call you out when you did something wrong, but would always be there for you when you need it.

The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs got the group's attention. They all turned around and saw Nancy and El gracefully make their way towards the kitchen. Mike was awestruck. He stood in the middle of the room, mouth agape and frozen in place. Dustin closed his friend's mouth and pushed him forward, making the boy stumble a little.

"Y-You look amazing, El," he said breathlessly.

"Thanks, Mike," El blushed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You look pretty."

The young man let out a giggle and rubbed the back of his neck. He held out his other hand and cleared his throat, trying to act all gentlemen-like.

"You ready to go?" he asked.

El nodded and took his hand. Dustin and Lucas raced toward the front door, both calling 'shotgun' and trying to shove each other out of the way. Nancy offered to drive the kids to the Byers' house so Jonathan could take pictures of the group and drop them off at the dance.

Lucas had made it to the passenger's seat first and let out a triumphant yell. Dustin folded his arms and called shotgun on the ride home. He sat in the back, with Mike in the middle and El on the other window seat. The December air was cold and all the kids were silently shivering as Nancy got in the car.

"Alright, don't freeze to death, I'll turn on the heater," she chuckled and started the engine.

As they drove to Will's house, Dustin spoke up.

"Hey guys, do you think Jennifer Hayes is gonna ask Will to dance at the Snowball?" he asked.

"I'll be surprised if she doesn't," Lucas responded. "What do you think, Mike?"

Mike thought for a moment. "Well, she _was_ crying at his funeral, so I'm gonna go with yes."

Nancy pulled into the Byers' driveway and the kids bolted out of their car seats and towards the front door of the house. Dustin knocked on the door and in an instant, Will opened it, (he was wearing a red sweater vest and dark blue slacks) and let his friends inside. Joyce and Jonathan were waiting on the couch, Jonathan getting his camera set up. The older woman got up to greet the children.

"Oh, you all look so adorable!" she smiled at them. "El, that dress looks gorgeous on you, sweetheart!"

El smiled bashfully and looked away. "Thank you," she said.

Nancy took a seat beside Jonathan, observing him tinkering with the device.

"That a new camera?" she asked, still feeling a little guilty about when Steve broke his old one.

"Oh, this?" he looked up. "No, it's just an older one I had. I actually have another one in my car, a Polaroid 660. But they're not as good as the other one that...got broken." He cleared his throat and got up from the couch, walking over to the group of kids.

"Alright, guys, gather around," Jonathan smiled. The kids grouped together in the middle of the room and stood politely, smiling up at the photographer.

"Dustin, no bunny ears!" Jonathan scolded the curly-haired boy.

Dustin rolled his eyes and returned his arm to his side, away from the back of Lucas' head. "Oh, Come on!"

Jonathan shook his head and smiled. "Okay, tell you what, you give me a decent, formal picture and I'll let you make all the funny poses you want."

Dustin's toothless smile returned. "Deal!" he said.

The young photographer took several photos of the kids, posing like you would on school picture day, then he allowed them to do whatever they felt like for the next one. Dustin returned his bunny ears to the back of Lucas' head, Lucas gave himself 'moose antlers' and stuck his tongue out, Will crossed his eyes and formed a goofy grin on his face, El mimicked Dustin and put bunny ears behind Mike's head, and Mike covered his eyes with his hands, smiling wildly.

"Alright, now Mike and El, let me get a few pictures of you two," Jonathan said.

Mike, nervously, looped his arm around Eleven's and they stepped forward. Will, Lucas and Dustin stepped out of the frame and walked behind Jonathan.

"Okay, smile!" Jonathan grinned and focused up his shot.

Eleven leaned against Mike's arm and smiled, while Mike's face turned red and he grinned sheepishly. Jonathan got the picture and thanked the couple, who still had their arms linked around each other. Dustin, Lucas and Will snickered in the background making kissing noises, knowing it would get on Mike's nerves.

"Cut it out, you guys!" he shouted and looked away, his face still a light shade of pink.

"Come on. Let's get you all to the dance before you start killing each other," Jonathan laughed and grabbed his keys from the counter.

"You kids be safe and have fun!" Joyce called as the children raced out the door.

"We will, Mom!" Will responded and followed his friends out to the car. Nancy followed Jonathan out the door and the two teenagers stood awkwardly in the driveway.

"So...I'll see you tomorrow, maybe?" Jonathan asked and rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding eye contact.

"Sure. Definitely," Nancy smiled and patted his arm.

"Hey, lovebirds!" Mike shouted from the car window. "Hurry it up!"

His older sister gave him a death glare and the other children laughed in response. Nancy wished Jonathan a goodnight and returned to her car, pulling out of the driveway. Jonathan started up the engine and the kids were finally on their way to the Snowball.

 **. . .**

Jonathan parked in front of the school gymnasium, where other parents were dropping off their kids. He informed the group that he would pick them up in the exact same spot in a few hours and told them to have fun.

Mike took ahold of Eleven's hand, interlacing their fingers, and smiled at her. "You ready?" he asked.

"Yes," Eleven responded. Her heart fluttered with excitement as they headed inside. This was a moment she had been looking forward to for awhile.

The gym was alive with the sound of the latest hits blasting through the stereos and other kids laughing, enjoying themselves.  
The room had a sky blue tint to it, thanks to the new lighting system the school received, and dozens of paper snowflakes were hung from the ceiling. There was a snack table with fruit punch, Christmas cookies, and other treats the kids loved, and a row of bleachers were opened on one half of the gym, in case any of the students wanted to sit out.

"Wow. They really went all out this year!" Lucas said, glancing around the gym.

"Oh, man, are those the cookies that the librarian makes every year and they taste like the gates of heaven opened up in your mouth?" Dustin gasped and focused his attention on the snack table in the corner.

"Only one way to find out," Will smiled and raced after Dustin and Lucas. Mike and Eleven followed behind.

"Holy shit, they are!" Dustin shouted and began to grab a handful of the treats.

The school librarian, Ms. Williams, always made cookies for the dances, each themed after the upcoming holiday. This year, she made a whole batch of Christmas cookies shaped like snowmen, Christmas trees, snowflakes, and Reindeer.

"El, you have to try these," Will said as he handed her the frosted treat. "They're called cookies and they're the best!"

Eleven was never someone to deny food. She looked over at Mike who was also shoving the cookies into his mouth. She giggled and tried one herself. It was delicious! El wiped the crumbs off her face with her sleeve and finished the dessert.

"It was good," she smiled.

"I know right?!" Dustin responded, who was filling a plastic red cup with fruit punch.

Suddenly, the speakers started to play a slower song and the kids in the middle of the gym grabbed a partner and began to slow dance. Lucas looked over to Mike, who was pretending to adjust his tie and glance at the clock every few seconds. He groaned at his friend's obliviousness and punched him in the arm.

"Ow! What?!" Mike snapped and rubbed the aching spot where Lucas had hit him.

Lucas pointed to Eleven and then to the middle of the gym where everyone was dancing. "Now's your chance, man! Don't miss it!" he whispered.

Mike nodded and glanced over at Eleven. She watched the other kids who were dancing and smiled, wondering what they were feeling like. She remembered the first time she walked into the gym and saw hundreds of kids, sitting on the rows of bleachers, staring at her and the boys. She didn't care though. It was always a delight to be around kids her own age, it made her feel normal. The girl's train of thought was interrupted when she felt someone take her hand.

"Um, want to dance, El?" Mike asked.

Eleven smiled and nodded eagerly. Mike led her to the dance floor and was surprised to see that Will was dancing with Jennifer Hayze. Guess they had been right earlier in the car. Mike returned his focus on El and he gently placed his hands on her slim waist. She responded by placing her arms around his neck. Just like Nancy taught her.

"I, uh, don't really know how to dance," he apologized. This was all very new to him.

"It's okay," Eleven looked up at him with her sparkling eyes. "Me neither."

A smile grew on Mike's face, relieved that he wasn't alone in this new experience. His ears focused on the song that sounded throughout the gym. It was 'My Girl' by 'The Temptations'. Mike thought it sounded familiar, as he had memories of his mother playing it on their old record player. The couple swayed to the music and memories of last month's events played through Mike's head.

 _'I've got sunshine, on a cloudy day,'_

 _'When it's cold outside, I've got the month of May.'  
_  
Mike remembered the day he and his friends found Eleven, cold and scared in the woods. He was the one who lent her a change of clothes and gave her a place to sleep. He did it out of the kindness of his heart and taught El the meaning of friendship. Over time as their bond grew stronger, so did his feelings for her.

 _'I guess you'd say, what can make me feel this way?'  
_  
Mike didn't know the exact moment when he began to like El as 'more than just a friend', but all he knew was that she could make him happy by just being in the same room with him, and he was sure that she felt the same way about him. Whenever she was in trouble she would call out for Mike, whenever she felt scared she would hold his hand, and whenever they locked eyes, even for a second, she would automatically smile. They protected each other, whether it was breaking another kid's arm or hiding them in a blanket fort from the bad men, their safe zone was each other.

 _'My girl, my girl, my girl,'_

 _'Talkin' 'bout my girl,'_

"Mike," El whispered, breaking the awkward silence between them.

"Yeah, El?"

"Thank you," she said.

"F-For what?"

"Everything."

Eleven rested her head on Mike's shoulder and continued to hold onto him as they swayed to the music. Mike did the same, observing the little, pink bow in her short hair. He glanced up and caught Lucas and Dustin, both giving him thumbs up and nodding their heads in approvement. His eyes glistened and he smiled at them, continuing to dance with girl that changed his life.

 **. . .**

After the song was over, the couple joined their friends who were sitting atop of the bleachers. It was around 10:30 and the dance would be over in half an hour. The kids, exhausted and full of fruit punch and cookies, sat in a peaceful silence, observing the other students mingle around the gym.

"Hey, guys, look," Will spoke up and pointed toward the window. "It's snowing!"

The group excitedly ran towards the window and observed the white, fluffy snowflakes dancing in the air. They all exited the gym to take part in the first snowfall of the year. There was a drastic temperature drop and Eleven began to shiver and rub her arms.

"Here, El," Mike said as he took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"Thanks, Mike," she spoke softly.

"Man, it's pouring out here!" Dustin laughed and tried to catch snowflakes on his tongue.

El tightened her grip around Mike's jacket and looked around in awe at the unknown substance.

"This is snow?" she thought aloud.

"Yeah," Mike laughed. "Just wait until Christmas when there's a lot of it. It's real fun to play in!"

"Christmas?" Eleven looked up at Mike, her curiosity peaking.

"Christmas. It's a holiday people celebrate," Mike explained. "It's a time when you get to be around the people you love and you give them presents to show how much you care about them."

"It's my favorite time of the year!" Will shouted as he threw a handful of snow into the air.

"Don't worry, El," Mike held her hand again. "We'll teach you all about it. There's songs, TV specials, and all kinds of stories you can learn from!"

El's smile widened. She was always eager to learn something new. "Okay," she laughed.

The group continued to play around in the snow until the honk of a vehicle got their attention. They spotted Jonathan's car and made their way towards it, glad that they got to return to their warm houses.

"So, how was it?" the young man asked as the kids piled into the seats.

"Awesome!" Lucas said.

"The best!" Dustin commented.

"Exciting!" Will laughed.

"Amazing," Mike sighed.

"Fun," Eleven smiled.

Jonathan smiled, happy that the kids enjoyed their first school dance. He started up the car and played soft Christmas music on the radio. The children were exhausted and all of them tried to fight the urge to fall asleep in the car. Lucas and Dustin got dropped off at their homes and Jonathan pulled up to the Wheeler's household to drop off Mike and Eleven.

The young man looked in the rear view mirror and saw that both Mike and El had passed out in the back. El had her head resting on Mike's shoulder, with his jacket still wrapped around her shoulders, and Mike lay his head on top of hers. A devious smile spread across Jonathan's lips and he reached into the glove box to pull out his Polaroid camera.

"What are you doing?" Will whispered.

"Just doing Mike a favor," Jonathan smirked.

The flash from the camera woke the kids up and they rubbed their eyes in confusion.

"You're home," Jonathan laughed and he fanned the picture that he took with his instant camera.

Mike stretched, still unaware of what had happened. He was just glad to be home. "Okay, cool. Thanks, Jonathan."

The boy held the car door open for Eleven, and said goodbye to Will.

"Mike, wait," the older brother said and handed him the picture.

"Wha-? H-How, _when_ did you take this?" Mike asked, flustered.

Jonathan began to back out of the driveway. "You're welcome!" he shouted out the window, Will giggling in the passenger's seat.

Mike shook his head and made his way to the front door where Eleven was waiting for him. She was confused on why he looked embarrassed, and what Jonathan was laughing about.

"What's that?" She asked him and pointed to the picture in his hand.

"Oh, Jonathan took a picture of us in the back seat when we fell asleep," Mike said and hesitantly handed her the photo.

El observed the picture and began to grin from ear to ear. She looked up at Mike who was fumbling with his hands, looking down at his feet.

"I like it," she told him and handed the picture back.

The boy smiled cheerfully and opened the front door for his girl. Eleven excused herself to go change out of her dress and went upstairs. Mike walked into the living room and saw Nancy reading a magazine on the couch. He took a seat beside his older sister, still glancing at the photo in his hands.

"So, how'd it go?" she asked him.

Mike sighed happily and sank into the couch. "Perfect."


	2. Tis the Season

Mike couldn't sleep. The events of the Snowball replayed in his mind. School would be out in a day and that meant winter break would finally arrive. It also meant that Christmas would be right around the corner and Mike still didn't know what to get Eleven. Perhaps the Christmas catalog could help him out?

The boy peered out of his door, glancing around the hallway to make sure the coast was clear. Softly, he crept downstairs and into the living room. He turned on the lamp at a dim setting and began to flip through the magazine. It contained different categories: furniture, clothing, jewelry, toys and video games, anything that could qualify as a gift.

Mike blankly stared at the pages, not finding anything interesting. Closing the magazine, he rubbed his tired eyes and yawned. A female voice cleared her throat and Mike jumped a little. He saw Nancy leaning against the doorway to the kitchen and he let out a sigh of relief.

"What are you doing up?" he asked his sister.

"I just came down here for a glass of water," the older sibling replied. She sat down on the couch beside him. "What are _you_ doing up?"

"Shopping..." Mike informed.

"For?"

"Christmas."

Nancy crossed her legs. "I thought you already had your list together," she said.

Mike flipped through the pages again. "Oh, I do. This is just...um," he trailed off.

"Okay, you remember a month ago, you asked me if I liked El and I said no?" he looked up at his sister.

"Yeah, I remember," Nancy recalled.

"I lied..."

"Well, no shit, Mike!" Nancy laughed.

"You knew?!" he asked, astonished.

Nancy rolled her eyes at her younger brother. "You're so clueless."

Mike returned his attention to the catalog beside him. "Yeah, well, this is El's first Christmas and I want to get her something she'll like. You know, besides Eggos."

The older girl thought for a moment. "Well, Christmas isn't for a few more weeks, so you'll have plenty of time to figure it out. Why don't you ask your friends for ideas?" she suggested.

Mike scratched his head and tapped his fingers on the arm of the couch. "Alright," he spoke. "I'll do that."

Nancy smiled at the boy and got up from her spot. "Come on, get back to bed," she told him. "Mom will know if we were up at a late hour."

The siblings turned the lights off in the living room and climbed up the stairs. Mike felt a smirk grow on his face and he thought of one last way to irritate his sister.

"So does this mean that you lied when you said you didn't like Jonathan?" he whispered.

"Shut up, Mike!" Nancy hissed, trying to keep her voice down.

"Come on, I thought we tell each other _everything_ now?" he raised his eyebrows.

"Bed. Now." The older sibling growled and pointed to Mike's bedroom.

Mike gave up and retreated back into his room. Collapsing onto his bed, he buried his face into his pillow and sighed. Besides stressing about the perfect gift, Mike could tell that this Christmas was going to be like no other. He thought of all the new things he could teach El about the holiday and all the outdoor adventures they could have in the snow. With pleasant dreams brewing in his mind, Mike fell asleep as a white blanket of snow continued to cover the grounds of Hawkins.

 **. . .**

"I don't know, guys, what do you think?" Mike asked his friends during lunch.

"Eggos?" Dustin suggested.

"Well, duh," Mike responded. "But I mean, like, something that will last longer than 30 minutes. And preferably, not edible."

"Well, what else does she like besides Eggos?" Will asked as he began to eat the sandwich off his tray.

"Mike," Lucas said and grinned at the dark haired boy. Dustin began to laugh and Mike glared at his friends.

"Not helping," he grumbled and picked at his food.

The bell rang, warning the students that they had 5 minutes to return to class. Mike sat quietly at his desk, trying to pay attention and think of more ideas. Still, nothing came to him. The next few class periods flew by and when the final bell rang, the students dashed out of their classrooms and into the short freedom which they called 'Winter Break'.

"Still couldn't think of anything, huh?" Nancy asked Mike on the drive home. The roads were still too icy for any bike riding, so Mike often got rides from his mother or his sister during the winter months.

"No," the boy sighed in defeat. "An idea's there, I know it. I just have to put it together."

"Well, don't worry about it too much," she consoled him. "We're setting up the tree tonight, so that should be fun!"

Mike's face lit up. Decorating the tree was always one of his favorite holiday traditions. Setting it up was always a pain, he let his parents and Nancy take care of the difficult part, but wrapping the garland and hanging the ornaments were always the best. And having Eleven around would make it even more special.

The siblings returned home as the evening snow began to fall. Mike placed his backpack by the front door and walked into the living room where he saw his mother bring out the box that held the tree.

"Mom, when are we putting up the tree?" Mike asked, excitedly.

"After dinner, Hon," Karen told him.

Mike grinned and turned his attention to the entrance of the basement. He sauntered down the steps and found Eleven in her blanket fort, looking at a storybook. She glanced up at the stairs and smiled as she saw her friend.

"Hi, Mike," she greeted.

"Hey, El," he replied and joined her in the fort. "What are you reading?"

The girl shrugged. "A story." She handed him the book and Mike glanced at the cover.

"Oh, The Night Before Christmas! That's a good one!" he complimented.

El nodded. "I like the pictures. They're pretty."

Mike closed the book and put it aside. "So, listen," he began. "Tonight is a very special night!" he announced.

El looked up at him, curiosity in her eyes. "Why?"

"Because we get to set up the Christmas tree tonight!" Mike cheered.

"Christmas tree?" El raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah! We have a tree set up in the living room, a fake one, and we decorate it with ornaments and lights," he explained. "Trust me, you'll love it. It's really colorful and bright."

Eleven could hardly wait. Mike told her that they would decorate it after dinner, so when the kids made it to the table, El began to scarf down her food. Mike told her to slow down, that the tree wasn't going anywhere. El nodded and began to eat slower, but couldn't hide the smile she had as she thought about the activity.

 **. . .**

It took awhile before the tree was actually set up and ready to be decorated. One of the legs on the stand for the tree had broke and Ted had to improvise by placing a book under the stand to balance it out. Meanwhile, Mike and Eleven sat on the couch untangling the lights.

"Why do you make the tree pretty?" Eleven looked at Mike who was beginning to get frustrated with his bundled mess of lights.

"It's tradition I guess," he shrugged. He never knew exactly _why_ people decorated Christmas trees, but it was always fun so he never complained. "Most families do it. And since you're one of us now, you get to help too!"

"One of us?" Eleven tilted her head.

"Yeah, you know, you're a part of our family now."

Eleven's eyes sparkled and she smiled, looking down at the christmas lights. _'One of us'_ she thought. The feeling of being part of a family and having a group of people you call 'friends' was never familiar to Eleven until she ran into the boys in the woods a month ago. She loved feeling like she finally belonged somewhere, to have a sister like Nancy, to have friends like Will, Lucas and Dustin, to have a 'more than just a friend' like Mike.

Karen played Christmas music over the record player while Nancy and the kids began to place the untangled lights around the tree. Mike helped his youngest sister, Holly, hang up some of the ornaments while Nancy and Eleven wrapped the garland around the tree. At last it was finally time to place the star on top.

"El, would you like to put the star on top of the tree?" Nancy offered.

Eleven leaned over to Mike and whispered something in his ear.

"Yeah, go for it!" he told her.

The girl concentrated on the gold, plastic star in front of her and slowly it began to levitate off the table. Mike folded his arms and watched proudly, the rest of the family watched in awe as a few of them weren't quite used to Eleven's powers. With the star on the tree, Nancy plugged in the lights and soon, the pine was covered with different colored bulbs. Eleven's eyes lit up as she glanced at all the different colors. They reminded her of Joyce's house when she had them hung all over the living room while searching for Will.

Afterwards, Mike and Eleven returned to the basement where Mike read aloud from The Night Before Christmas.

"'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse," he read. "The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there."

"Who's St. Nicholas?" El asked.

Mike froze. Santa Claus was always a huge part of the holiday season, but Mike and his friends were at the age where they knew the truth, that he wasn't real. Quickly, he explained how Santa was this wondrous being who lived up at the North Pole with his reindeer and toy-making elves. He had a list of children who were good and bad, and the good ones would always receive toys while the bad ones got coal. Mike told El everything that any child would know about the jolly man, everything except the fact that he didn't exist; he just didn't have the heart to.

The two continued to read the story, snuggled up on the couch. Eleven automatically rested her head on Mike's shoulder and Mike tried to stop his leg from shaking, a nervous habit he always had. When the story was over, Mike's supercom began to go off. Will's voice came out from the other side.

"Hey, guys, do you copy?" Will said.

Mike picked up. "Yeah, I'm here, Will. Over."

"What's up?" Lucas' voice answered.

"Hey, Will," Dustin spoke.

Will told his friends that Hopper invited them up to hills near the woods so they could go sledding. The rest of the group gasped in excitement and instantly said yes. Will informed them that Hopper would pick them all up in the afternoon and they all signed out of their supercoms.

Mike brought down extra blankets for Eleven; it started to get colder down in the basement. Eleven looked at the pictures that Jonathan took before the kids went to the Snowball. The one where they made goofy faces and the one with just her and Mike were her favorites.

"I like this," she said.

Mike rearranged the chairs around the blanket fort. "Like what?" he asked.

"Christmas," El responded, smiling. "I like the feeling. It's nice to have friends, I like being...one of us."

 **. . .**

Mike sat in his bed, glancing at the falling snow outside his window. He kept thinking about what El had told him, how she loved being apart of his group of friends. One of us. But what _really_ made them 'one of us'? They all liked the same things, rode their bikes everywhere, went on adventures, just like any group of friends would.

Suddenly, he got an idea. He gasped and grabbed his supercom from the nightstand by his bed. He turned it on and tried to alert his friends.

"Guys, this is Mike, do you copy? Over."

A few moments of static passed before a collection of voices answered.

"I'm here. Over." Will responded.

"Man, I was just about to fall asleep," whined Dustin.

"Can't this wait until morning?" Lucas grumbled.

Mike ignored his friends' complaints. "Guys, I finally know what to get El for Christmas!" he announced.

"Congrats, Mike. What do you want? A medal?" Lucas responded sarcastically.

The boy shook his head. "No. The thing is, I'm going to need your help, all of you."

"What did you have in mind?" Will asked.

"El told me that she liked being one of us, part of our group," Mike explained. "I was thinking we could get her a few things to truly make her feel like one of us."

"Like what?" Dustin wondered.

"A supercom, a compass, a backpack, and a bike," Mike listed off. "I can cover the bike. I'm going to ask my mom for an advance on my allowance, but I need your help to get the other three things."

"I like this idea," chimed Will. "I can get the compass, I think I have a few extras around here."

"I got the supercom covered," said Lucas.

"I can get the backpack," Dustin notified. "I'll even throw some Eggos in there!"

Mike laughed. "Good thinking, Dustin. She'll like that."

The boys all agreed on what they were to get El for Christmas and signed out. Mike placed the supercom back on his desk and smiled happily. Having a plan always took some stress away from him in any situation. Sledding with his friends tomorrow should be a blast. They always had races and snowball fights, and sometimes the snowball fights got serious quickly and turned into an all out brawl. Nevertheless, all of the children were fast asleep in their beds, waiting for the next adventure to take place.


	3. Sledding & Snowball Fights

Hopper had picked up the kids and drove them up near the woods. There was an area, not too far from the clearing, that had the best hills; very good for sledding. The kids were bundled up with jackets, mittens, snow boots, and hats. Each one had brought a sled, Mike brought an extra one for El.

The chief parked his truck near the edge of the hill and the kids unloaded their sleds. They all lined up at the top and held onto the strings on the front of the plastic boards.

"Okay, whoever reaches the bottom first, wins!" Dustin yelled.

Will began to count down. "On your marks...get set...GO!"

Hopper stood above the hill, smoking a cigarette, watching the kids speed down the hill. Lucas and Will were neck and neck, Dustin was in the lead, El was a close second, and Mike was last. His string had broken off and he got a late start. Dustin stood triumphantly at the bottom of the hill.

"Yes! I win!" he cheered.

"No fair, man!" Lucas shouted. "You got a head start!"

"Says who?"

"Says this!" Lucas laughed and tossed a snowball at Dustin's head.

Soon enough, all the boys were throwing snow at each other. Eleven stood back and watched, a look of fear upon her face. Why were her friends fighting? Was it because of the race?

"Guys, stop!" El shouted.

The boys paused and looked at Eleven.

"What is it, El?" Will asked her.

"Stop fighting, please," she pleaded.

Dustin chucked. "It's okay, El. We're not actually angry at each other. It's just a snowball fight!"

Eleven glanced at the curly-haired boy. "Snowball fight?"

Mike walked over to her with a snowball in his gloved hand. "It's sort of like a game, El," he explained. "Just form a ball out of snow and throw it at someone."

"Like this!" Lucas demonstrated by tossing another snowball at Dustin.

"Come on, man!" Dustin snapped and began to pile up snow in his hands.

The kids laughed and yelled as multiple snowballs began to fly through the air. Will got a few good shots, hitting Mike and Lucas a few times, Eleven managed to hit all of the boys, excluding Mike, at least once. Mike was mostly avoiding the snowballs rather than throwing them, Lucas went stealth mode and hid behind the trees, tossing snowballs when he saw an opening, and Dustin went what he called 'Rambo mode' and just began throwing snow everywhere.

The battle went on for awhile. Will began using his sled as a shield, his 'Captain America' strategy as he called it. Eleven kept an eye on Mike, watching his movements, he was more on defense than offense. He bent down, sculpting a snowball in his hands, when one came flying toward him. Eleven had stopped it with her powers before it could collide with his face.

"Thanks, El," he breathed.

Eleven smiled and continued to watch the snowballs being tossed in the sky. Both were unaware that Dustin had planned a sneak attack on Mike.

"SURPRISE!" he let out a war cry and hurled a snowball at Mike's face.

The ball scraped Mike across his cheek and he yelped out in pain, falling backwards.

"Mike!" Eleven yelled and was instantly by his side.

Mike had a burning red spot and a small cut on the side of his face. He grimaced as he put a hand on his cheek. He removed his hand and saw a small line of blood. Eleven held him close with a worried expression.

"Oh shit, Mike, I'm so sorry!" Dustin ran up and apologized. "That one must've had some ice in it."

Eleven glanced up at Dustin and Mike felt her tense up.

"Hey, I'm okay, El," he put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. "It was an accident."

"Mike, you're bleeding," her voice was soft.

"It'll heal," Mike said.

Dustin helped his friend up, still wearing a guilty expression.

"Jesus, Dustin," Mike chuckled. "You ever think of trying out for baseball?"

Dustin let out a nervous laugh. "Guess I don't know my own strength!"

Hopper had made it down to the hill after he saw Mike fall down. "You okay, kid?" he asked.

Mike tried to smile even though one side of his face hurt like hell. "I'm fine. Just a cut."

Hopper picked up one of the sleds on the ground. "Well, let's get you home so you can get that cleaned up," he spoke in his gruff voice.

The others picked up their sleds and trudged up the hill. They loaded the plastic boards in the back of the truck and piled into the seats. Lucas sat up front with Hopper, Dustin and Will sat near the window seats with Mike and Eleven sandwiched in the middle. Eleven looked down at her hands, taking quick, rapid glances at Mike as he covered the mark on his face.

She knew it had been an accident and even though she wasn't the one that caused it, she still felt guilty. She was able to stop one of the snowballs, why not the other? Dustin had apologized multiple times on the way up the hill and promised Mike that he would make it up to him somehow, even though Mike reassured him it was okay.

 **. . .**

"Ow! That stings!" Mike winced as his sister rubbed Neosporin on the small cut.

"Chin up, tough guy," Nancy rolled her eyes and handed him a band aid. She put the first aid kit back in the cabinet and turned toward her younger brother.

"So, you figure out what to get Eleven for Christmas?" she asked.

The boy's eyes brightened. "Yeah! Will, Dustin, Lucas and I all decided to to get El something so she would feel more like one of us," he informed. "Lucas is going to get her a supercom, Will is going to get a compass, Dustin's going to get a backpack, and I'm going to get her a bike."

"A bike?" Nancy smiled. "You have enough to cover that?"

Mike shrugged. "I think so. If I have to, I'll ask Mom for an advance on my allowance."

"Okay, tell you what," Nancy offered. "I'll take El Christmas shopping tonight so she can get something for you and your friends, and tomorrow, I'll take you down to the bike shop so you can pick out a bike for her. I'll pay for half of it."

Mike smiled and held out his hand. "It's a deal!"

Nancy returned the handshake. "Good. Now go tell El to get ready. We'll leave in half an hour."

Mike went down to the basement where he found Eleven sitting on the couch, lost in thought. He looked at her, concerned, and took a seat beside her.

"Something wrong, El?" he tried to get her to look at him.

Eleven solemnly glared at the floor and traced a finger across her cheek.

Mike paralleled the movement and felt the bandage on his face. "Oh, my face," he realized.

"I should have stopped it," El mumbled.

"Well, that's the thing about surprise attacks, El," he laughed. "You're not supposed to expect them."

Mike noticed that she wasn't laughing and he sighed. "El, look at me...please."

Eleven peered up at him and studied his face. He wasn't angry or upset, he was calm and looked at her with an enchanting smile.

"Look, I'm not angry at you or Dustin," he spoke softly. "My face will heal up just fine, it's not like I have a broken bone or something. You shouldn't blame yourself for this."

El nodded, but still didn't feel any better. "I don't like seeing you hurt," she admitted.

"I don't like seeing _you_ hurt either," Mike put a hand on her shoulder. "And being sad isn't really helping the situation."

Eleven let out a small giggle and Mike laughed along with her.

"So, look," Mike changed the subject. "Nancy's going to take you Christmas shopping in a bit."

"What for?" Eleven asked.

"So you can think of something to give us on Christmas Day," the boy stood up and walked over to the table. "The guys and I already know what your present is going to be."

El smiled. "What is it?"

"Well, I can't tell you, otherwise it won't be a surprise!"

Eleven blinked. "I understand. But, what do I get for you and my friends?"

Mike scratched his head. "I don't know. Just look around the store and see if you can find anything that reminds you of us."

 **. . .**

Nancy and Eleven walked around the isles, glancing at all the new toys and games that had been released for the holiday season. Barbies, G.I Joes, Atari games, and board games flooded the shelves. Eleven couldn't find anything that reminded her of the boys and was about to give up when Nancy had found something.

"Hey, El, what about this?" she asked while holding a revised edition of Dungeons and Dragons.

Eleven took ahold of the bright red box and looked at it. The cover art featured a picture of a knight in armor fighting a giant, orange dragon. On the back, it showed the 2 manuals for the game and a new set of dice. Eleven knew that the boys loved the game to death. She nodded eagerly at Nancy, confirming that this was the perfect gift.

The older girl smiled and the duo brought their gifts to the register. Nancy placed a brand new camera on top of the board game.

"What's that?" Eleven asked.

"Oh, it's a camera," Nancy responded. "It's for a friend."

"Jonathan?" Eleven guessed, knowing that Will's older brother had a love for photography.

Nancy turned a bright shade of pink. "Yeah," she sighed.

"I think he'll love it," Eleven said.

"I hope so," Nancy whispered, glancing down at the camera.

 **. . .**

Back at the Wheeler's house, Mike called over his friends to see how the present hunt was going.

"I got the supercom!" Lucas announced and placed the walkie talkie in the middle of the table.

"Here's the compass!" Will smiled.

"I got the backpack!" Dustin said. "It was a little torn, but I had my mom fix it up. Oh, and you might want to put these in the fridge for now." He handed Mike a box of Eggos.

"This is great you guys!" Mike cheered. He looked around the basement looking for a place to hide the gifts.

"How about over here?" Will suggested and pointed to the bottom drawer of the table in the corner of the room.

"That's good," Mike confirmed. "I'll go put these in the fridge," he said and ran up the stairs.

The boys placed Eleven's gifts in the drawer and covered them with blankets and other types of clothing. They all gathered around the table, preparing for another Dungeons and Dragons campaign. Mike joined his friends and set up his Dungeon Master's book, getting ready to start their new game.


	4. Christmas Eve

Mike and Eleven sat in the living room watching Christmas specials. They had finished Frosty the Snowman and were almost done watching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

"I don't like the other reindeer," Eleven commented.

"Why not?" Mike asked.

"Because they're mean," Eleven glared at the TV. "Mouth breathers."

Mike swelled with pride every time El had used a word he taught her. Even if it was an insult. 'Eggos', 'friends', and 'mouth breather' were some of her favorite words.

A knock on the door brought Mike out of his thoughts and he got up to answer. Lucas, Will and Dustin stood outside and Mike let them into his home.

"We finishing the campaign tonight?" Dustin asked as he took off his coat. "We only completed three hours last night."

"Yeah, just give me a few minutes," Mike said. "El and I are watching Rudolph and it's almost over."

Will tugged on Mike's sleeve. "Did you get her the bike yet?" he whispered.

Mike nodded. "Yeah, Nancy took me down to the shop earlier this morning," he said quietly. "It's hidden in the garage."

Will smiled and headed down to the basement where Lucas and Dustin had motioned him to follow. Mike returned to his spot beside Eleven, whose eyes were glued to the screen as the final act came into play.

 **. . .**

"Guys, are you sure this is a good idea?" Will wondered anxiously.

Lucas stood on top of a chair, tying a small plant to the wooden beam above the bottom of the stairs. "It'll be fine," he assured. "Mike will thank us later."

"Okay, I think it looks good," Dustin confirmed, giving Lucas a thumbs up.

Lucas climbed down from the chair and placed it over by the table. A few moments later, they heard the basement door open and the boys snuck behind the staircase. Mike and Eleven descended from upstairs.

"Alright, we can continue the campa-" Mike began but stopped when he didn't see his friends.

Dustin, Will, and Lucas all bolted up the stairs, laughing hysterically. Mike and Eleven both looked up in confusion.

"Wait, where are you going? And why are you laughing?" Mike raised an eyebrow at his friends' weird behavior.

"Look above you!" Dustin snickered.

Mike and Eleven both looked up at the beam above them and Mike's face went pale.

"Oh, my god," he groaned.

"What is it?" Eleven wondered, not understanding why Mike was upset.

"It's Mistletoe," Lucas jeered. "Have fun!" He closed the door behind him, roars of laughter still echoed from behind.

Eleven looked at Mike, waiting for him to explain.

"Uh, Mistletoe is this plant that people hang around their house sometimes," his voice sounded shaky. "Whenever two people stand below it...they, um, have to kiss."

"Kiss?"

Mike began to feel like he was about to pass out. "You remember, about a month ago, in the cafeteria when... I put my mouth on yours?"

Eleven smiled and nodded, blushing at the memory.

The boy cleared his throat. "Yeah, well, that's called a kiss. But people only kiss when they really really like each other."

"I really really like you," the girl's eyes glistened.

"You do?" Mike finally made eye contact.

Eleven nodded again and Mike felt a small lump in his throat.

"I really really like you too, El," he croaked, feeling the weight lifting off his shoulders.

"JUST KISS ALREADY, DAMMIT!" Dustin's muffled yell came from behind the closed door.

Mike was about to yell something back, when El leaned forward and their lips met. It was short and sweet, just like their first one in the cafeteria. El broke the kiss and stepped back, looking at the stunned expression on Mike's face.

"Like that?" she whispered.

Mike blinked rapidly and tried to get the words to come out of his mouth. "Y-yeah. Just like that," he stuttered.

Eleven grinned bashfully, strolled over to the table and took a seat. Mike watched her and sighed blissfully. He glanced up at the closed door.

"You guys can come back down now!" he shouted.

Instantly, the door flew open and Dustin, Will and Lucas returned with sly grins on their faces.

"Soooo?" Dustin smiled, elbowing his lovesick friend.

Mike rolled his eyes and glanced at the floor. "What? It was just a kiss."

"You're welcome!" Lucas yelled from the table.

The kids sat around the Dungeons and Dragons board, resuming their campaign. Eleven wasn't participating, there were a lot of rules to the game she couldn't wrap her mind around, so she sat beside Mike and watched the game unfold. Mike read from his Dungeon Master handbook and the other boys rolled the dice and announced their movements.

"Hey, El," Will spoke up. "Are you liking Christmas so far?"

"Yes," El responded.

"What's your favorite part about it?"

The girl thought for a moment. Mike and the boys had taught her so much about the holiday, she couldn't just pick one.

"I like the snow," she began. "The tree, the Snowball, and Santa Claus."

"Santa?" Lucas gave her a questionable look. "Uh, you know he's-"

Mike shot Lucas a dirty glare and coughed loudly, warning him not to spill the beans about St. Nicholas. Dustin noticed and interrupted Lucas.

"You know he's got a cool group of reindeer?" he smiled. "I like Dasher and Dancer."

"I like Rudolph," El responded. "He's different than the rest. Like me."

 **. . .**

After a few more hours of campaigning, the kids decided to go out to the front yard to build a snowman. Mike and Will brought out some props from the basement and Dustin, Lucas and Eleven packed the snow for the body. When it was all finished, the snowman had a bottom, torso and head, branches for arms, two large rocks for eyes, and a small stick for a nose.

"Now all we need is a hat to make him come to life!" Will joked.

Just then, Dustin got an idea. He took off his baseball cap, placed it on the snowman and walked over to Eleven. He whispered something in the girl's ear and stepped back, showing his toothless grin.

Eleven narrowed her eyes and focused. Slowly, the snowman began to shake and with a quick tilt of the head, the snowman was launched into the air. The remains of snow rained down from the sky and Dustin cheered and ran around looking for his hat. The other boys watched in awe and tried to catch the snow flying through the breeze. Mike grinned and turned to Eleven. She continued to watch the falling snow, proud of her work, with a bloody nose.

"Here, El," Mike said and dug in his coat pocket. He pulled out a small piece of cloth and handed it to her. "It's called a handkerchief. You use it to wipe stuff off of your face."

"Thanks, Mike," she beamed and wiped her nose.

"No problem," the boy responded. "You can keep it. We can clean it if it gets too dirty."

Eleven put the handkerchief in her pocket and Dustin ran up, wrapping her into a bear hug.

"El, that was awesome!" he laughed.

"It was just like when you flipped that van over!" Lucas commented.

Soon, all the kids were bundled up in a group hug. Afterwards, Lucas, Will and Dustin went home, still geeking out about the flying snowman. It was Christmas Eve and the kids were excited to get to sleep so they could open their presents in the morning. Mike brought his pillow and blanket down to the basement and slept on the couch, while El was snuggled up in her blanket fort.

 **. . .**

Mike opened his eyes and tried to adjust his vision to the dark. He glanced at his watch, which read 12:15, and slowly got off the couch. He crept over to where Eleven was sound asleep and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"El," he whispered. "Wake up."

The girl jerked awake, and Mike rubbed her shoulder in response.

"Hey, it's just me," he calmed her down.

"Mike?" El said, wondering why he would wake her in the middle of the night. Not that she minded.

"Yeah, come with me. I want to show you something," Mike spoke, an adventurous smile on his face.

Eleven crawled out of the blanket fort and followed the boy who snuck up the stairs quietly. He led her to the living room, where they peaked around the corner. The tree was still lit up, only this time, there were multiple boxes wrapped in colorful paper underneath it.

"Presents?" El gasped.

Mike giggled at her expression. "Yeah! Looks like Santa stopped by here already."

"Can we open them?" the girl asked.

"Not yet, El," Mike said. "We have to wait until tomorrow morning."

Swiftly, Eleven turned around and made a beeline for the basement door.

"Where are you going?" Mike whispered.

"Back to bed," El responded.

Mike glanced back at the presents under the tree, mentally counting all of them, before following her back downstairs. She was already back under the covers in the fort when he got there. Mike returned to his spot on the couch and buried himself under his Star Wars blanket. Christmas Day couldn't come soon enough.


	5. Christmas Day

Christmas Day, the only day of the year where children were actually excited to get out of bed in the morning, some waking up earlier than others. As soon as the morning sun peeked its way through the small window in the basement, Eleven was wide awake, sitting up in the blanket fort. She looked over at Mike, who was snoring quietly, limbs dangling off the side of the couch. Tiptoeing over to the sleeping boy, Eleven gently shook him awake.

"Mike," she whispered. "It's Christmas."

Slowly opening his eyes, Mike stretched out along the couch and collapsed back down onto his pillow. He looked at the watch on his wrist. 6:30?! He knew that his parents or Nancy wouldn't be up this early, even though it was Christmas. Mike was about to object waking up until he saw the look of wonder and excitement in Eleven's eyes. Ruffling the bed head he acquired whilst tossing and turning all night, he stood up and stretched fully.

"Alright, I'm up," he yawned. "My parents and Nancy probably won't be up for another half hour. Want to have some breakfast?"

Eleven nodded and raced up the basement stairs, Mike warning her to be quiet. The kids went into the kitchen and Eleven sat at the table. Mike went to the fridge and pulled out the remains of a gingerbread house his mother had made. It was decorated with whipped cream, frosting, and gumdrops, the perfect Christmas Morning breakfast (according to Mike and his sweet tooth).

The children sat beside each other, munching away at the holiday treat. Mike stared at his plate and smiled to himself, random memories about bonding with Eleven flooded his mind. The night they found her in the woods; the same night where he gave her a place to sleep, clothes to wear, and a name. The night where they all gathered in the hospital after Will was recovered from The Upside Down, and of course, his personal favorite, the Snowball.

Eleven was also in a deep thought of her own. Opening the gate to The Upside Down and releasing the Demogorgon was one of the most terrifying moments of her young life, yet it was also the most fortunate. Meeting the boys, learning about friendship and family, being treated like an actual human being and not some mind-controlled experiment, Eleven knew she wouldn't ever be alone again. And she was thankful for that, every single day when she woke up in her little blanket fort and not some cold, stiff bed in a small white room.

After they ate breakfast, it was almost 7 o'clock and the rest of the family still wasn't up. Mike and El decided to pass the time by watching cartoons on television. Eleven would make random glances at the presents under the tree every once in awhile.

"I know, I want to open them too," Mike sighed.

The sound of a door opening alerted the kids to look at the stairway. A few moments later, Nancy sauntered downstairs and smiled when she saw her brother and sister sitting patently by the tree.

"I figured you two would be the first ones up," she chuckled.

"Are Mom and Dad awake yet?" Mike asked.

"I think so," Nancy guessed. "They should be down soon."

. . .

After another 30 minutes of cartoons, Karen and Ted, along with Holly, came downstairs and allowed the kids to finally open their presents. Frantically, Eleven and Mike went over to the tree and Mike handed out the presents to his family.

"Uh, this one's Nancy's" Mike said as he read off the sticker on the wrapping paper. "El, this one's yours, this one's mine, here's Holly's..."

In a matter of moments, the wooden floor was covered with shreds of wrapping paper. Mike had received some new action figures from his mother (Star Wars ones were on the top of his wish list) and Atari games from his father, Eleven giggled with excitement as she unwrapped new clothing from Nancy and a small necklace from Karen. Nancy had also received some jewelry from her mother, and Holly had gotten a new Barbie doll with a small toy car.

After the remains of the wrapping paper were cleaned up, Mike rushed downstairs to grab his Supercom from the table. He pulled out the antenna and twisted the knob, trying to contact his friends.

"Guys, this is Mike. Do you copy? Over."

Static filled the speaker for a moment before a voice picked up.

"I copy, Mike," Will spoke happily. "I got an Atari for Christmas!"

"That's awesome, Will!" Mike laughed. "Lucas, Dustin, you there?"

"I'm here," Dustin's voice came through. "I got some new comics and action figures!"

"I got some new video games and Legos!" Lucas chimed in.

Mike grinned. "You guys coming by soon? We still have to give El her present."

"I'm on my way now," Dustin informed the group. "Over and out."

"Right behind you," Lucas signed out.

"See you there!" Will said. "Over and out."

"Over and out," Mike repeated and turned off his Supercom. He went back upstairs into the living room where Eleven and Nancy were talking about their new jewelry. Mike hooked up his Atari, trying out the new video games his father got for him and eagerly waited for his friends to arrive.

. . .

As soon as the doorbell rang, Mike sprang up from his spot and went to answer the door. The other boys smiled and wished their friend a Merry Christmas. They entered the house and hung up their coats and hats. Mike alerted Dustin by tugging on his sleeve.

"Go grab the Eggos from the freezer and put them in the backpack you got for El," he whispered.

"On it, Chief," Dustin winked and began to sneak into the kitchen. Mike told Lucas and Will to head downstairs and gather the items they got for El. They both nodded and bolted down the stairs.

Eleven noticed that her friends had arrived and she looked at the last present under the tree. Nancy had offered to wrap it for her after many attempts to try it herself. Dustin informed Mike that 'Operation: El's first Christmas' was a go, and Mike rolled his eyes at his friend's spy talk.

"Hey, El," Mike said, breaking her out of her trance. "We all got a surprise for you downstairs!"

Eleven stood up and followed Mike. Lucas, Will and Dustin were crowded around the table with their hands behind their back. El gave them a smile, but was confused about what they were hiding.

"El," Mike began. "We never would've been able to find Will and rescue him if it wasn't for you. You've saved our lives multiple times and proven yourself to be an amazing friend."

"Not to mention, a badass with superpowers!" Dustin smiled.

Mike snickered at his friend's comment and continued his speech. "You are truly 'one of us'. Which is why we all pitched in and got you something."

"A Supercom, so you can always talk to us if you need anything," Lucas said and placed the brand new Walkie Talkie on the table in front of her.

"A compass, so you won't get lost on our adventures," Will smiled and sat the item next to the Supercom.

"A backpack! To carry around snacks and other stuff on our adventures," Dustin grinned. "There's already something in there for ya!"

Eleven zipped open the front of the backpack and her eyes sparkled as she gazed upon her favorite food. "Eggos!" she cheered. The boys laughed as she tore open the container of the box and began eating one of the toaster waffles.

"There's one more thing waiting for you," Mike informed her. "It's in the garage."

The group raced back upstairs, Mike leading the way. They made it to the garage and Mike opened the door. He walked around his parents' mini van and wheeled a shiny, pink bicycle out for Eleven to see. El dropped the eggo she was eating and stared at the new bike in awe.

"A bike?" she gasped.

Mike put the kickstand down so the bike wouldn't fall over. "Of course! How else are you going to keep up with us?"

"Wait, El, can you fly?" Dustin gasped.

"She can't fly, stupid!" Lucas rolled his eyes.

"You guys said she could flip over a van and blow people away," Will shrugged.

"I don't think that counts as flying," Lucas said.

While the other boys argued about her telekinesis, Eleven studied the bike as she walked around it. Her smile fell when she realized she didn't know how to ride one. Mike took notice.

"Don't worry, I'll teach you to ride and soon you'll be able to go as fast as us!" he laughed and gave El the adorable smile she had grown to admire.

Eleven spun on her heels and wrapped her arms around Mike's neck. "Thank you," she grinned. Looking at the other three boys, El motioned them to join in on the group hug. "All of you."

Nancy, watching from the doorway, smiled at the warm moment. "Hey, you guys, Mom just made some hot chocolate! You better hurry before it's gone," she warned.

"Oh, hell yes!" Dustin cheered and the group broke off the hug. They exited the garage and El stopped in front of the living room as the boys ran into the kitchen. She spotted her present under the tree and grabbed it before catching up with her friends.

"Guys," she said and held out the wrapped gift. "For you."

"All of us?" Mike asked.

Eleven nodded and the kids ran to the kitchen table placing the gift down.

"So, who wants to open-" Mike began, but stopped when Dustin began to tear off the wrapping paper like a wild animal.

"Holy shit!" he screamed and immediately covered his mouth, praying the adults didn't hear him.

"Is that what I think it is?" Will gasped, his eyes shining.

"The updated version of Dungeons and Dragons," Mike whispered.

"El, you're the best person in existence!" Dustin shouted and gave the girl another bear hug.

The boys crowded around the red box, shoving each other out the way to read the features on the back. Nancy came up behind El and handed her a mug of hot chocolate.

"I think they like it," the older girl observed and Eleven nodded in agreement.

"We're playing this right now," Lucas stated as he grabbed the box.

"What about our current campaign?" Mike asked, following his friends.

"Dude, screw our old campaign!" Dustin spat and ran down the stairs.

Mike shook his head and smiled. "Come on, El," he said. "While we play I can teach you how to use the Supercom."

. . .

The kids all sat in the basement, the boys were geeking out about all the new characters and abilities that came with their updated board game, while Mike watched El fiddle with her Supercom and eat another eggo (the box was halfway empty by now). Will had called Mike over to the table to play, as they couldn't properly continue without their dungeon master, and Eleven gave Mike a small smile, letting him know she didn't mind him leaving her side. As the boy sat at his usual spot, narrating the game, Eleven spotted a familiar green object near the ground and a mischievous grin appeared on her face.

The campaign lasted for about an hour before the boys decided to take a break. Dustin suggested that they all go outside to try and build an igloo, and the rest of the kids agreed. Will, Dustin, and Lucas ran up the stairs to get their coats, while Mike trailed behind and Eleven decided this was her chance.

As Mike was about to head for the stairs, Eleven took ahold of his hand and kissed him on the cheek. The boy gasped softly and his face turned bright red.

"W-What was that for?" he asked, not that he was complaining.

Eleven just smiled, blushing herself, and pointed above Mike's head. He looked up and let out a small chuckle as he saw mistletoe levitating above him.

"Was this your idea?" Mike smiled.

The girl just shrugged and sauntered up the stairs. With her focus off of the plant, the mistletoe fell on top of Mike's head and he brushed a hand through his hair. Smiling like a lovesick dope, he followed Eleven up the stairs and grabbed his coat as he walked out the door. Dustin and Lucas were working on the base of the igloo, while Will was creating the blocks. Eleven and Mike joined the group and each started working on one side of the snow hut.

It was a long and tedious process. Eventually, the kids were running out of snow in the front yard, so they had to improvise by bringing piles of the white fluff from the backyard. Block after block, stacked on top of each other, the icy dome was finally complete. The kids stood around the hut and were very proud of their work. Until they got inside.

The gang sat in a circle inside the igloo, hugging their knees to their chests and barely having any elbow room.

"Well this sucks," Lucas huffed, breaking the awkward silence.

"Might've underestimated the block to size ratio," Dustin sighed. "These things always seem larger on the inside."

"Oh, well. At least we tried," Will shrugged, trying to keep everyone's spirits lifted.

"Wanna go back inside and resume our campaign?" Mike suggested.

"Yep," Lucas said and crawled out of the igloo.

"Right behind you," Dustin followed him.

. . .

The new campaign lasted for a good few hours. Jonathan came by and picked up Will to take him home, but not before receiving a brand new camera from Nancy. Lucas and Dustin left shortly after, leaving Mike and Eleven to enjoy the rest of their Christmas. Mike brought his Atari down to the basement and played his new video games while Eleven played around with her Supercom, compass, and finished the box of Eggos. The night ended with a nice family dinner and Mike promising to teach El how to ride a bike, as soon as he cleared off the snow in the driveway.

. . .

"Okay, so the first thing you want to do is keep your balance," he told her. "Then when you're ready, try to peddle for a bit."

Eleven sat on her new bike, feet planted on the ground away from the pedals and hands tightly gripped on the handlebars. Mike held onto the bar behind the seat to keep the bike even and looked down the driveway. It wasn't very steep, so El wouldn't have to worry about the tires gaining speed and going at a pace she wasn't comfortable with. Eleven placed a foot on one of the peddles and gave Mike a confident nod.

Slowly, he gave her a small push and Eleven began to peddle on her own. He stayed behind, keeping up with the bike while still holding onto the bar. She would often stop peddling and look behind her to see if he was still there, and with a reassuring 'I got you' or 'I'm right here', she continued to ride slowly down the driveway. When they made it past the mailbox, Mike informed her of what a good job she had done.

"Alright, now let's try peddling over to that other house," he challenged and pointed to his neighbor's home. "Remember to use the handle breaks if you feel like you're going to fall over."

"Okay," El responded, taking a deep breath.

The girl placed both feet on the petals of her bike and began to ride slowly towards the next house. Mike still remained behind, hanging onto the bar of the seat. Eleven seemed to be doing really well, keeping her balance and using her breaks when needed. At last, Mike let go of and watched as El raced down the street and stopped by the neighbor's mailbox. She was surprised to see Mike farther away from her, but saw the proud smile on his face and blushed.

Mike hopped on his own bicycle and rode up next to her. "You did it, El! All by yourself!" he praised.

"It was easy," she smiled.

Mike raised an eyebrow. "Oh, getting confident are we?" he chuckled. "Well, then how about a little game of follow the leader?"

"Okay," Eleven accepted the challenge.

Mike began by riding around in circles, picking up speed and making sharp turns. Eleven kept up and stayed side by side with him. Mike looked behind him, a sly smirk on his face, and began swerving back and forth. The girl felt a little wobbly at first, but kept her balance and was able to follow Mike's movements.

Eventually, the two continued riding around in circles near the streets. Mike's face still sported that same proud smile as he watched Eleven ride around, cheerfully. He wasn't looking where he was going and was thrown out of his daydream when he accidentally ran into the mailbox near the driveway.

"Mike, are you okay?" Eleven asked, getting off her bike and kneeling by his side.

The boy just blinked and began to laugh. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just wasn't looking where I was going."

Eleven helped him up and Mike brushed the fresh snow off his clothes.

"Come on," he said, mounting back on his bicycle. "Let's ride over to Will's house. He said that he got a Star Wars game for his Atari!"

Mike waited for El to get settled back on her bike so they could race each other to Will's place, but was surprised when she instead left her bike by the garage and sat behind him on his. She wrapped her arms around his waist and he straightened up, looking flustered.

"What's wrong? Don't you want to ride your bike?" he asked.

"Not now," El shrugged and rested her chin on Mike's shoulder. "I like to ride with you."

"Oh, okay," he responded, a bashful grin appearing on his face.

Eleven held on tighter as Mike pushed off and began to ride towards Will's house. She nestled her face into his shoulder for warmth, eyes following the glistening snow on the ground. The girl could see why Will loved the holiday so much, it gave people a warm feeling to fight off the cold weather that blew outside. Just being able to relax with friends and family without a care in the world was a paradise Eleven couldn't even imagine, mostly because she never knew that such a thing could exist.

"Mike?" El whispered in his ear.

"Yeah, El?" he turned his head but kept his eyes on the road.

"I like Christmas," she smiled. "It's...mental." She had heard Dustin use the word 'mental' lots of times when he was referring to something cool, so she figured that it was an appropriate word to describe the holiday.

The boy couldn't help but laugh. Eleven's vocabulary grew everyday. "If you loved Christmas, just wait until all the other holidays roll around," he said.

"There's others?"

"Oh, yeah, tons!" Mike began to list off a few. "Thanksgiving, New Years, 4th of July, Halloween, Valentine's Day…" he couldn't tell if it was the numbing cold or just the mention of the February holiday that made his face burn with embarrassment.

"What is Valentine's Day?" Eleven wondered.

"It's just another holiday coming up," Mike answered quickly. "It's not until February so I'll tell you more about it then."

Eleven nodded her head and continued to hold onto Mike's waist as they rode down the street. She thought about all the holidays Mike had told her about, some she had already heard of from the other boys. Thanksgiving or 'food holiday' as Dustin called it was the time where you were thankful for something in your life and you sit around the table stuffing your face with all sorts of delicious meals. Halloween was the 'spooky holiday' as mentioned by Will, but the main focus was going around collecting candy while dressed up. All those others sounded fun, but El couldn't imagine how they could be better than Christmas

Spending time with her family and friends in a warm house away from the cold was always a good feeling. And when they got sick of being cooped up inside, there was a vast snowy world waiting for them outdoors. The music they played on the television was always pleasing to the ear and kissing Mike under the mistletoe wasn't bad either. Will had mentioned at the snowball that this was his favorite holiday and now Eleven could see why. The girl smiled and thought to herself ' _This is my favorite holiday too'_.


End file.
